We have some exciting news to announce. The Society is now a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com family. It’s great news for travelers, luxury home owners and property managers alike. The official announcement was made this afternoon (press release below).
SEATTLE, June 3, 2010 - LuxuryRealEstate.com, the most viewed luxury real estate website in the world announced today it has acquired The Society of Leisure Enthusiasts (”The Society”), an online marketing solutions company focused in the luxury vacation rental industry… READ FULL PRESS RELEASE.
Perfect for a Couple, Small Family or Group of Friends
What do Cancun, South Padre Island, Florida and Breckenridge have in common? Well, besides the need for SPF 30 sun-block, all are hot spring break destinations. OK, Breckenridge may not have tropical temperatures, but we guarantee as a Spring Break destination, it is hot, Hot, HOT.
Located just 90 minutes from Denver International Airport, Breckenridge has become the poster-child for “the cool ski resort” in the Rocky Mountain West. The 4 mountains of the Breckenridge resort guarantee unlimited skiing and snowboarding no matter your ability. From gentle glade trails to half-pipes and moguls the size of a Smart Car, it can be found in Breckenridge. As we approach President’s Weekend, this is the unofficial start of Spring Break with warmer, sunnier days intermixed with major snow dumps insuring powder days on the slopes. Take note, March is the snowiest month in Breckenridge.
Days on the slopes usually end with traditional après-ski in the hot tub with the warm waters massaging the muscles after a challenging day and prior to heading out to indulge in the nightlife Breckenridge is famous for. The historic mining town has been transformed into a world-class destination with a diversity of shops, restaurants, galleries and other “non-mountain” pursuits. Dining can be fast-food or the luxury of a chef’s tasting menu, all within walking distance. Non-skiers, take a ½ day and visit a spa or enjoy morning coffee with a walking tour of the historic town. For shoppers, the Silverthorne Factory Outlets are just a few minutes north.
We understand many vacation rentals are oriented towards larger families and groups. Thus, it is rare when we can offer a one-bedroom flat as a vacation rental in Breckenridge meeting the deluxe standards The Society is known for.
In real estate, the three “L’s” are Location, Location and Location and this vacation has all three. Seriously, our flat is literally just steps from historic Main Street as well as the Quicksilver High-Speed Lift with immediate access to the slopes.
The flat, built within the last decade offers what we consider “Ski Chalet Light”. Within its 785 SF, the flat is furnished with an emphasis on deluxe comfortable luxury. Enjoy the gas fireplace while watching the large flat screen (with a few DVD’s and popcorn, the most comfortable theater in town). The bedroom has a King Bed, a rarity in many mountain flats and its own flat screen. The living room sofa converts to a deluxe queen bed. In the kitchen and bathroom, there has been liberal use of custom granite and tile to exemplify the luxury appointments of the flat.
In October, we introduced some wonderful success stories/highlights that our clients have reported since the launch of The Global Bundle. Around the world, homeowners, property managers, resorts, developers and fractional owners have found The Global Bundle to be the perfect solution for their online marketing efforts.
The testimonials keep coming in, and below is a recap of November and December including success stories and some select new properties we’ve added in the past two months.
Success Stories: Paradise Valley, AZ: This $10 million estate received its first qualified inquiry within 24 hours of listing. Little over a month later, Bramasole booked for an entire month for $30,000. On top of that, the owner was contacted via another Global Bundle inquiry for the home to be used as the site for the next “Go-Daddy” commercial starring Indy-Car celebrity and Go-Daddy spokeswoman, Danica Patrick. A nice $5,000 booking for a quick, 4-hour commercial shoot. See home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23829
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: Villa Las Palmas, a 13,000 square foot paradise, arguably one of the finest luxury villas in all of Cabo was brought to us for help in November. The home was still available for Christmas/New Year’s, and it was specifically urgent to get a qualified holiday booking. Within the 1st week on listing, Villa Las Palmas was booked for New Year’s, a $20,000+ booking. See home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/24009
Breckenridge, CO: This property located on Main Street was not seeing results from previous online marketing strategies. The home was listed through our Global Bundle back in mid August. To date (December 11th), this home has been booked for 59 nights through Global Bundle inquiries. See the home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23906
Selected New Properties Added to The Global Bundle in October:
Let us help you drive qualified inquiries and bookings efficiently and cost-effectively. View more information and sign-up for more information on our Global Bundle at: http://thesociety.com/gb
Since the launch of our new Global Bundle product just a few months ago, we have a wealth of success stories that we would like to share. Around the world homeowners, property managers, resorts, developers and fractional owners have found The Global Bundle to be the perfect solution for their online marketing efforts.
Below is a recap of October including success stories and some select new properties we’ve added in the past 30 days.
Success Stories: Beaver Creek, CO: Ski Safari home was booked within the first week of being listed through The Global Bundle. The booking was for over $10,000. Now that’s an ROI we like to see for our clients. Every booking from now one just adds more to the bottom line. See home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23987
West Vail, CO: This “accessible luxury” condo had zero bookings through the first few weeks in The Global Bundle. Our account management team worked with the owner and adjusted the headlines and offered a reasonable discount for early bookings. The result: immediately saw 4x’s the inquiries, 3 of which ended up booking in October alone. See home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23907
Ambergris Caye, Belize: Las Terrazas Resort booked the entire resort for a 40 person Wedding. 40 guests staying for 7 nights. The Global Bundle reaches travelers and large group planners. See the resort here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23844
East Hampton, NY: This unique Whale Rock home, which is up for sale, was put into The Global Bundle to earn rental income as it was on the market. Within the first couple of days of listing, this property was filled for Labor Day and 2 off-season bookings. See the home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23668
Paradise Valley, AZ: This $10 million estate had very few inquiries for the previous months. It was placed into The Global Bundle to target affluent audiences and the owner reported a qualified inquiry within 24 hours of listing. See the home here: http://thesociety.com/vacation+rental/23829
Selected New Properties Added to The Global Bundle in October:
Let us help you drive qualified inquiries and bookings efficiently and cost-effectively. View more information and sign-up for more information on our Global Bundle at: http://thesociety.com/gb
Coming off the summer 2009 vacation season, there were glimmers of hope on the horizon. The term “staycation”, popular amid the depths of the economic downturn during the first quarter of 2009 seemed to slowly be eradicated from the popular press. Hotels and resorts lured clients by offering $99/night rates with value-added amenities thrown in (children eat free at Ritz-Carlton). Gas prices stabilized with a national average of $2.49/gallon a 37% decrease when compared to July 2008. Better economic news was the catalyst to spur travelers to consider at minimum a short vacation within their drive-time markets. Those opting for air travel were surprised by higher air-fares (due to reduction in capacity) and an increase in over-sold flights.
The following White Paper recognizes the changing outlook concerning vacation culture.
The acceptance of “last-minute bookings” as the new normal
Reduced rates/REVPAR (Revenue Per Available Room Night) for the foreseeable future
Increase in incentive/corporate travel as businesses exit the recession
The value orientation proposition
Even during the past two quarters of economic uncertainty, the growing popularity of vacation home rentals continues. Although supply has exceeded demand at present, future growth coupled with a diversity of supply worldwide may provide a healthy balance in the marketplace.
-Harnessing the power of a multi-faceted sales and marketing program to assist upscale resort clients wishing to target the affluent demographic concerning rental, sales and management opportunities-
DENVER, CO -October 22, 2009 - The Society and La Sarenne Luxury Properties today announced the debut of their newest online marketing opportunity, The Diamond Affinity Program, a turnkey luxury resort marketing and sales platform.
“The Diamond Affinity Program has been designed and executed to overcome a major void in how resorts market and sell their products.” said Bruce Cuthbertson, partner with La Sarenne Luxury Properties, a California-based resort development firm adding, “The present economic malaise has impacted many resorts which have relied on antiquated sales and marketing tactics to achieve their goals. The Diamond Affinity program is a whole new sales and marketing platform designed for today, tomorrow and the future. We did not replace the tools in the toolbox, we designed a whole new container, inside and out.”
The Diamond Affinity Program is an all-in-one resort sales and marketing package. Using a multi-pronged approach, The Diamond Affinity Program harnesses the power of:
• Online Marketing: targeting the affluent and luxury lifestyle audience.
• CRM Tracking: including initial contact to close concierge assistance.
• VIP Events: in select markets to provide prospective clients in-person introductions.
• Public Relations: focused on the lifestyle, consumer and business marketplace.
“No other entity in the industry has brought together the expansive marketing relationships, leveraged media purchases and targeted demographics combined to deliver not only large quantities of highly qualified prospects but exceeding close-rates above the industry standard,” said Michael McFadden, co-founder of The Society, a Colorado-based marketing firm representing hospitality and vacation oriented companies. McFadden added, “The economy has dictated the call for new ways to market luxury resorts and the Diamond Affinity program beckons that call.”
The Society and La Sarenne came together to leverage their resources to create the Diamond Affinity Program. “It just made sense to create this program jointly, taking advantage of our complimentary services to best serve the resort client desiring to turn lookers into bookers and visitors into owners.” said Cuthbertson.
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Contact: Bruce Cuthbertson
La Sarenne Luxury Properties, LLC
1-877-336-3942 Bruce@LaSarenne.com
The 25th Annual Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) Conference is later this week at the OmniShoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. For those of you attending as either exhibitors or non-exibitors, we look forward to seeing you. Visit The Society’s booth to get up to speed on the initiatives we’ve put forth for vacation rental managers looking to increase exposure, inquiries and bookings from a qualified, luxury clientele.
It is not too late to register. Online registration is available until tomorrow, 10/21/09.
TheSociety.com is well respected for their “white papers” concerning the many challenges in today’s marketplace concerning the marketing, promotion and recognition of luxury vacation rental homes and resorts. While many entities have embraced the “discounting mantra”, we do not agree with this.
According to Michael McFadden, Co-Founder of TheSociety.com: “The pie {supply} has gotten bigger yet demand remains stagnant i.e. vacationers are on a diet. Once an entity embraces the discounting manta, two issues arise, a potential loss of prestige and the inability to raise rates when demand returns.”
Our newest White Paper “Do Not Let Your Winter Bookings Hibernate” offers an overview of the present marketplace, future forecasts and most importantly 12 marketing ideas to increase your REVPAR and procure a loyal clientele.
Please e-mail us with your contact information at info@thesociety.com if you would like to be notified when the white paper is released. Please place “white paper” in RE line.
Last week, The Society Co-Founder Michael McFadden and Account Executive Therese Lewis attended the 14th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference held at the exclusive Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in the Vail Valley of Colorado.
Attendees of the conference, while concerned about the present challenges of the luxury real estate market, continued to express enthusiasm as luxury real estate is always in demand no matter the market conditions. For many, luxury is an aspiration, for those who have become accustomed to the deluxe lifestyle, downgrading is not an option.
While recent media reports may suggest the luxury market has “fallen off a cliff”, attendees suggested the media hype may be due to select high-profile properties not selling due to their inflated price based on conditions of the bull-market circa 2007. Properties from primary residences to vacation homes are selling when priced correctly for today’s market conditions.
Rental of luxury homes and estates continues to increase. For prospective buyers, the opportunity to “try before you buy” as become an attractive alternative to the hyper-inflated market of multiple contracts above asking price just a few years back. Buyers are able to take their time to assess their purchases in a pressure-free environment and in many instances, usually with a vacation home, to “rent before they purchase”.
For sellers, while the market has become more challenging, the luxury buyers are out there and are ready, willing and able. Many prospective buyers are sitting on the sidelines or using the present economic conditions to pick and choose the most appropriate luxury property for their needs and desires, both immediate and for the future. Sellers in the luxury arena while concerned about news reports also are aware the luxury buyer can be a “cash-buyer” and not beholden to the whims of mortgage brokers, suppliers and appraisers.
From the prospective of The Society, we see the overall luxury marketplace moving towards equilibrium. Markets which gain 20% on annum over 5 years is not a sustainable market. Corrections happen and lead to new opportunities for capital investment and appreciation. Many luxury homeowners are considering “vacation rental” as an option to provide cash-flow for their under-utilized vacation residences. Many of our newest Global Bundle affiliates are such owners. As one broker attendee mentioned in passing “Even Sir Richard Branson makes his Necker Island property available for vacation rental”.
While all of us at The Society enjoy our work including interaction with clients, travel agents, vacation home owners and property management firms, we have also embraced the opportunity to “give back”. Thus, VacationHomesForCharity.org was developed and is assisted by multiple staff that all enjoy lending their skills to assist those in need.
If you are affiliated or know of a charity or non-profit in search of additional fundraising opportunities, we invite you to visit the website of VacationHomesforCharity.org.
If you own a vacation home and wish to assist a charity or non-profit in need, please feel free to contact us. We can explain in detail how our program operates, the various benefits to homeowners and of course the opportunity to “give back.
BTW: To date, VacatinHomesforCharity.org has been responsible for generating fundraising in excess of $150,000. Charities and non-profits from coast to coast have benefited.
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